Aron out, O'Neil in as Sixers CEO

FILE - In this May 19, 2011 file photo, Madison Square Garden Sports president Scott O'Neil speaks at a "Welcome the New York Liberty to Newark" event at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Adam Aron has stepped down as Philadelphia 76ers CEO and been replaced by former Madison Square Garden Sports president Scott O'Neil. Aron and O'Neil were set to inform the staff of the change on Monday, July 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)

The 76ers’ desire to head in another direction has manifested in the front office, too.

The chief executive officer of the team for the last two seasons, Adam Aron said Monday he has stepped down from his post. In his place, the Sixers hired Scott O’Neil as CEO and head of business operations, effective July 16.

O’Neil, whose résumé includes marketing and sales work with the Philadelphia Eagles, cut his teeth in the NBA in a similar position with the then-New Jersey Nets. He had been working as president of Madison Square Garden Sports, overseeing business operations of the New York Knicks, until he stepped down last September.

“This team is in a place where we’re going to need some help,” said O’Neil, who met with reporters Monday at the Sixers’ practice facility. “We need the fans to try us out. We need them to come and give us a test drive. Can we get enough fans there to create a homecourt advantage? That’s the biggest challenge there is.”

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Aron said he will stay on with the Sixers’ board of directors and will remain a co-owner of the club, even upping his ownership stake. Aron and majority owner Josh Harris were part of the ownership group that bought the team in 2011.

“I’m not severing my ties,” Aron said by phone. “You’ll still see me at games at Wells Fargo Center.”

While still without a coach since Doug Collins’ resignation April 17, the Sixers have been overhauled since Sam Hinkie’s hire as general manager to replace dismissed GM Tony DiLeo. Hinkie orchestrated a draft-day trade to acquire rookie center Nerlens Noel — widely considered one of the best talents available — in exchange for All-Star Jrue Holiday, effectively clearing cap space as well. The Sixers also selected Michael Carter-Williams to take Holiday’s place.

The team’s internal renovation project continued Monday with Aron’s resignation and O’Neil’s hire. As for jumping at the opportunity to seek employment with a team that’s without a coach, O’Neil said it wasn’t a concern.

“I want the roller-coaster ride. I want the twists, the turns, I want to be flipped upside-down. I want to stop and then go backwards,” O’Neil said. “That’s the process in hiring a coach, and Sam will hire a great coach who’s right for this team right now. I have no doubt about that. Everybody gets a coach eventually, right? We’ll get the right coach. You always want to buy a stock low, right? This is a stock you would buy.”

O’Neil, who received a marketing degree from Villanova, will be in charge of all business operations for the Sixers. Additionally, he’ll be an alternate on the NBA’s Board of Governors.

Aside from a few phone calls exchanged between the two, O’Neil said he hasn’t had a chance to forge a deep bond with Hinkie. However, he said he’s laid the groundwork for a solid rapport with Hinkie, with O’Neil having heard good things from a personal friend in Houston general manager Daryl Morey, Hinkie’s former employer.

As for the Sixers’ chain of command, O’Neil said he and Hinkie are “partners” in reporting to Harris.

“The first thing (Hinkie) said, the best thing you want to hear, is, ‘Hey, this is about partnership. I want to be a great partner,’” O’Neil said. “We’ll work together. We have the same vision, the same goal. He wants to build a championship-contending team, I want to build a championship-contending team. Sure makes my job a whole hell of a lot easier.”

Aron spent the last two seasons crafting himself as the most public figure of the Sixers’ ownership group. He sat courtside at most home games, attended his coach’s postgame press conferences and did everything in his power to concoct a fun-and-games atmosphere in South Philly. Count confetti, T-shirt cannons and a mascot write-in vote among them.

His approach took a turn for the worse during the Sixers’ 48-loss season, when fans ripped Aron publicly in response to his seemingly harmless, yet overly optimistic tweets. Aron broke his nine-day silence on the social media network, tweeting about his new job as chair of a new investment project that several co-owners of the Sixers have gotten behind.

“This is, in my mind, a huge promotion,” Aron said. “That doesn’t mean I didn’t have a blast running the Sixers. … We reconnected the Sixers to the fanbase of the Delaware Valley. When we had our great run two seasons back, the city was with us all the way. And in this more difficult year, the city was loud about its views.

“If you go back a few years, I’m not sure this city would’ve cared. I think this fanbase is more interested in the Sixers than they have been.”

Orlando Summer League update

The Sixers fell to 0-2 in the Orlando Summer League with a 92-72 trouncing by the Indiana Pacers.

Temple standout Khalif Wyatt led the way with 25 points (11-for-18 shooting) in 25 minutes off the bench. First-round draft pick Michael Carter-Williams shot woefully, going 4-for-19 from the floor for 13 points, but totaled seven assists against zero turnovers.